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6 Cancers That Immunotherapy Can Treat

Immunotherapy
is a type of cancer treatment that enhances your immune system’s ability to
destroy cancer cells. While only a few immunotherapy drugs have been approved
by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to date, they can treat many
different types of cancer. Though we still have much to learn, immunotherapies are
giving many cancer-free years to patients who formerly had few treatment
options. Here are six cancers immunotherapy is approved to treat.

Melanoma
is a type of skin cancer that’s highly treatable when found early. However, in
late stages, patients have more limited treatment options. That’s where
immunotherapy plays a role. In recent years, doctors have begun treating
late-stage melanoma with immunotherapy drugs called checkpoint inhibitors,
which work to identify cancer cells so immune cells know to fight them.
Checkpoint inhibitors were initially approved to treat late-stage melanoma
after other treatments failed, but now they’re are available as a first-line
treatment for metastatic melanoma or melanoma that persists after surgery. Three
checkpoint inhibitors have been approved by the FDA so far to treat melanoma:
ipilimumab (Yervoy), nivolumab (Opdivo), and pembrolizumab (Keytruda). And in
2015, another type of immunotherapy, called oncolytic virus therapy, was approved
by the FDA to treat melanoma as well.

Lung
cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and the leading cause of
cancer-related death. But with the introduction of new checkpoint inhibitors,
patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer have been given a better
chance. Currently, there are three checkpoint inhibitors approved by the FDA to
treat this kind of cancer. Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was recently approved to be
a first-line treatment for one type of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
Nivolumab (Opdivo) and atezolizumab (Tecentriq) are both approved to treat
metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients for whom chemotherapy didn’t
work.

The
approval of atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in 2016 was the first new treatment for
bladder cancer in 30 years, joined by nivolumab (Opdivo), approved in early
2017. These drugs are specifically indicated to treat the most common type of
bladder cancer, locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Patients
can try this immunotherapy if their cancer progresses during or after
chemotherapy. These drugs have increased the chance of tumors shrinking and
reduced the risk of bladder cancer returning.

Head
and neck cancer is an umbrella term for cancers of the mouth, sinuses, nose,
and throat, and it’s one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Until
recently, patients with squamous cell head and neck cancer had no other options
if chemotherapy didn’t work. However, in 2016, the checkpoint inhibitors
nivolumab (Opdivo) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) were approved to treat
recurrent or metastatic squamous cell head and neck cancer for patients who’d
tried chemo. Among patients who responded to these drugs in clinical trials,
many have stayed cancer-free for more than a year post-treatment.

4. Head and Neck Cancer https://d33ljpvc0tflz5.cloudfront.net/dims3/MMH/thumbnail/580x388/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fd26ua9paks4zq.cloudfront.net%2Fa7%2F30%2Fe77c4a534d9fb06141c6ae369a35%2Fresizes%2F1500%2Fimage-gettyimages-75403608.jpg

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In
2015, the FDA approved nivolumab (Opdivo) to treat patients with a type of
kidney cancer called advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Patients can try
nivolumab after receiving a specific type of therapy beforehand. In clinical
trials, 21.5% of patients treated with nivolumab saw their tumors shrink, and
those who received the drug lived an average of 25 months after starting
treatment—a significant increase compared to previous treatment options.

Hodgkin
lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in a part of your immune system called
the lymphatic system. Most patients with Hodgkin lymphoma can beat the cancer
with chemotherapy and are living disease-free five years after diagnosis. But
in about 20 to 30% of patients, cancer will return after treatment—or it won’t
respond to treatment at all. There are two intensive treatment options in these
cases, but in 2016, another was added: nivolumab (Opdivo) was approved to treat
Hodgkin lymphoma that relapsed or progressed following all other treatments. In
clinical trials, nearly all patients who responded to nivolumab had their
cancer shrink by at least one half and lived an average of eight months after
treatment.

Immunotherapies Revolutionize Cancer Treatment

Immunotherapy
is a type of cancer treatment that enhances your immune system’s ability to
destroy cancer cells. While only a few immunotherapy drugs have been approved
by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to date, they can treat many
different types of cancer. Though we still have much to learn, immunotherapies are
giving many cancer-free years to patients who formerly had few treatment
options. Here are six cancers immunotherapy is approved to treat.

THIS CONTENT DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. This content is
provided for informational purposes and reflects the opinions of the
author. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice,
diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare
professional regarding your health. If you think you may have a medical
emergency, contact your doctor immediately or call 911.